Heavy Metal
by ZodiacFire
Summary: [CyStar Friendship] After a fight, Cyborg suddenly thinks he is loosing the human side of him. But sometimes...it's good to have a second opinion.


Before you reassure yourself about a Cyborg fic, let me tell you that yes, there is a hint if Cliche-ness in here. **BUT**, It's also coupled with my own original ideas to make it fun to read. Many Thanks. **  
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**Disclaimer: **I Don't Own Teen Titans. Do I Wish I Did? Sure.Will I Ever? Nope.

**>>>**

**Teen Titans In: _Heavy Metal_**

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It was just one of those days.

The alarm clock rang, his eggs and bacon heated up and the contemporary jazz station played a soothing melody to wake up to. Everything was normal, it was just Cyborg didn't feel like himself today, and he hated it. It was one of these days where he took a deeper look in on himself as he felt the wires moving inside of him as he got up off of the stretcher that made for his bed. Electrical currents pulsed through his brain, sometimes giving him a headache if he processed information too fast. His heavy metal body thumped along the ground of his room, making his way to the breakfast that was ready for him to devour.

With a sigh, he picked up a strip of bacon and immediately his red eye went to work. It analyzed the heat, the fat content and how much he would enjoy the meat before it even touched his lips. The food would then travel down into his stomach, which was luckily one of the organs he had remaining from his conversion. The acids would mix with the oils in his body and break up the food, dispersing it to the only remaining flesh and muscle he had left. The rest was decomposed and vaporized into particles and atoms. It was like a mini laser factory that got rid of all the unnecessary objects in his body.

Cyborg looked at the bacon then with his human eye and dropped the strip, it just wasn't worth it anymore. He really didn't need feeding, it was just a hobby that he enjoyed in life and decided to pursue it. If he kept his systems upgraded and himself oiled, he could last eons without food or water. Only on his robotic side though. He still has half a brain of a human and he would still age they way Cyborg wanted to. To die as a human, that is. No way would he ever want to turn himself into full robot, traveling the world, not feeling…not truly seeing…

It wasn't until the Tower warned of another threat to the city when he picked himself up. Maybe the distraction will get him out of his funk and he could live the rest of the day not worrying about his robotic parts. What he was in store for though, was something worse.

**>>>**

"Humans! Bow down before Atlas as I have become perfection unto Machines. Nothing can stop me!"

The man-made machine who proclaimed himself as Atlas, picked up a police squad car and hurled it at a building side, trying to smash the pedestrians on the side walk. The towering robot stomped through the streets, causing cars to swerve and smash into oncoming traffic. His footsteps were becoming holes in the ground as his arm produced a cannon, and fired a beam of intense energy at a fruit stand.

"C'mon Atlas. Trying to make a fruit cocktail?" Robin quipped as he held out his bo staff. The Titans behind him already in their stances. Atlas acknowledged the team with a mere glance before he continued his rampage.

"Titans! Stop his destruction and bring him down! Go!" The leader leapt forward and brought his staff down onto the robots head, but it had no effect. Instead, the staff broke in two as the other remaining piece in Robin's hand vibrated fiercely, causing his own arms to shake as well. Atlas turned to the Boy Wonder and gave the equivalent to a grin in robot standards.

"It seems that you're strength has diminished human, while mine has increased!" Atlas grunted and brought down his giant fists to the startled Robin. Fortunately, Raven was quicker as she swept over and produced a shield over them both. The weight and strength of the machine caused the darkness to flicker, but the empath still held on.

"Thanks Raven." Robin recomposed himself and brought out his bird-a-rangs.

"Don't thank me yet. Atlas is stronger than before. If he hits me a couple more times like that, It's gonna hurt…" Raven then diminished the force field and both Titans swept to opposite sides in time from another punch from Atlas. The robot was about to give chase as well until explosions all around him stopped his rampage. Starfire had created a smokescreen of dust and dirt, until her friends would station in the most effective attack position on the ground.

Atlas peered through the smoke, waiting for the assault and felt the ground shake. Behind him, a T-rex stormed through the veil and tried to chomp down upon the robot. Atlas had felt this coming and reacted by gripping the bottom and top jaws from enclosing on his torso. Beast Boy struggled with the enemy until a police car covered in black obsidian smashed into his side. The changeling jumped into his normal form and landed safely on the ground, rubbing his mouth.

"Heh, Thanks Raven. Didn't know if I could eat Tofu without a lower jaw." The green teen cracked a joke a little too soon as the smoke had cleared enough for everyone to see. Atlas, enraged by now, stomped towards Beast Boy, ready to crush him into the ground. Instead he was met with a steel tipped boot in his face as Starfire swung Robin with enough force to cause the giant robot to go flying into a nearby building. Luckily, the occupants had seen the menace earlier, and evacuated.

"Give yourself up Atlas. You're 'upgrade' can't compare to us." Robin announced, staying far enough away from the building.

"Robin, something is wrong with Cyborg!" Starfire whispered in his ear as they both turned around to see their friend standing there, as if he was looking off into space. Now that the leader had thought about it, Cyborg hadn't even engaged his foe yet. He thought that the teen would be hitting the hardest against Atlas, but now it's as if he lost all will whatsoever.

"Cyborg…Hey! Cyborg! C'mon dude. This isn't funny…" Beast Boy tried everything he could think of; snapping fingers in front of his face, making rude bodily functions and even resorting to giving him the wet willy. Nothing worked, as the tallest Titans just seemed dead.

"Something must be wrong with his mechanical mind. We have to get him back to the Tower quickly!" Raven ordered.

Robin agreed but said, "Just a sec, we have to - "

"_RAUGH!"_

Atlas had been watching from the shadows and waited till the team was distracted to make his strike. His arms were outstretched and were going to crush the Boy Wonder as would a child to a bug, if not for Starfire's intervention by pushing the teen out of the way. Had she not been standing next to him, Robin would surely have died, but the crushing blow to a human was not enough to kill a Tamaranian. Starfire cried out in pain as Atlas's hands squeezed the life out of her. The Titans, minus Cyborg, growled at their enemy who held one of their own captured.

"Don't come any closer or I'll snap her back." Atlas said with a tone of desperation. His eyes were empty as robots had no soul, but his actions were clear.

"Let her go, Atlas." Robin gritted his teeth as the look of Starfire's face twisted in agony. Atlas took a few steps back as the Titans stayed their ground, afraid if the desperate monster's threat was true.

"Only when she's good and dead will I let my hostage free." It was suddenly becoming harder to hold the girl as she kept squirming to get away. The Tamaran's strength was far greater than a human's and thus, causing more trouble to the villain. Robin decided to take a chance.

He took a step forward.

Atlas saw.

"I said not to move!" Grinding his mechanical parts together, the arms of Atlas were enclosing tighter and tighter upon Starfire. She screamed out in pain as her bones started to pop and bruise, some had already been fractured. It wasn't until one voice broke the screaming and Atlas' wrath.

"STARFIRE!"

Robin blinked nad felt a sudden rush of wind beside him. A blue and silver blur sped past him as a familiar hum rang in his ears.

It was never fully explained how Cyborg had snapped out of his stupor, or how he had fallen into one in the first place. All he would really tell to the team afterwards was that he heard metal against metal and then a scream. It was then his cybernetics relayed all of the information he had missed and gave him the scenario the Titans were faced with. So, as he roared out the name of his teammate, Cyborg launched into a full-scale attack.

Atlas was caught totally off guard, as he had only been focusing on crushing the girl, and didn't see the fist flying his way. With the power to crumble a building at his hands, Cyborg's punch caused Atlas to drop Starfire and sail more than one block away from where they stood. The metal Titan knelt down and picked the quivering form of his friend from off the street. He let his red eye scan over her body, looking at her injuries as best as the computer could, giving it's limited knowledge on Tamaranian physiology. She had suffered a fractured elbow, bruised ribs and marks all over her body that would lead to soreness come tomorrow.

"Star…Hey, Star…It's okay." He looked down at the Titan in his arms and felt lost inside. What she needed was warmth and security. She needed someone like Robin, who he knew loved her, to utter gentle words and give her the warmth of skin and flesh. Cyborg turned to see his teammates rushing up to him.

"Is she okay? Any internal damage?" Robin's masked eyes never left Starfire's body as she seemed to be in a state of unconsciousness.

"She's okay man. Just a fractured wrist and a few bruises. Nothing our Raven can't handle." He gave a wry smile as Raven nodded at what role she had to play. "Here Robin, I think she would like to be with you more than me." Gently placing the girl into his arms, Robin's face melted from the cold Leader that they all knew, to something different that none had quite placed yet. Cyborg's best guess was love.

"Dudes! Atlas is coming back!" Beast Boy's shout alerted everyone back to the situation they had originally come for.

"Robin, carry Starfire on your cycle as Beast Boy transports Raven back to the Tower. Raven's going to need all the energy she can get. Drive safe Robin. I can handle this guy alone." Cyborg waved off his friends and turned his back.

"Cyborg, are you sure?" The R-Cycle's Auto-Driver led it directly to it's owner as Robin started to strap Starfire safely in.

"I've done it before haven't I?"

"Don't go overboard." Was all the Leader said before he sped off and the cry of a pterodactyl was far off into the distance. Robin knew how much Cyborg obsessed over competition, almost like the Wonder himself.

Atlas was storming his way over in a rage of mechanical parts. His steps now bore deep into the streets, but Cyborg stood as calm as ever. He had shown the villain who was better before, and he was going to do it again.

"I will destroy Jump City and I'll begin with you!" Atlas charged forth when he was in suitable range and heaved a mighty fist at the Titan. Cyborg jumped back easily, and then he finally stood in a fighting position.

"Bring it on."

The anger Atlas held was blinding his thoughts as reckless punches and blasts never found their target. As for Cyborg, he had never felt this calm in a fight before in his life. Usually he was full of spunk and pride, but now, it was more of a deadly silence. Atlas picked up nearby car and hurled it at his opponent. Cyborg merely lifted his arm, changed it into the cannon and mentally pulled the trigger. The car backfired and exploded in the air, causing a barrier between villain and hero.

"You cannot stop me! I have upgraded myself to surpass even you, Cyborg! Now I will show you the true might of a Robot!" Atlas charged his cannon and shot the car straight at the Titan but with a great swing of his leg, Cyborg kicked the flaming car back at him.

"We may be in comparison, Atlas, but I've got something that makes me better."

Atlas raised his head and arm to smash the car in two before it had time to crash into his body. "And what is that? A feeble human brain? The human immune system? An EYE?" He chuckled and looked down to see a blue glow that connected to Cyborg's arm in his face, and his laughter died immediately.

"I may have only half of those," He said, "but I've got a complete human soul."

The cannon fired.

**>>>**

This was the first time that Cyborg realized that he didn't rust in the rain.

He walked slowly through the Tower, grateful to be out of the storm that had caught the City unawares. He remembered when he still was human that he liked the hotter weather better. The sunshine and fresh air, the green grass and his friends all horsing around. After the accident, his friends never did bother to seem him again. And why not? He wouldn't be able to look at them without realizing their body fat, body temperature or any other physical statistics his computer eyes would show him. More than once did the Titan want to rip out that eye.

Although, he should count his blessings, how few there were. The Titans had befriended him, looked over his 'disabilities' and made him a part of the team. They give him space when needed, laughter when he was gloomy and accessible parts to fix up his abnormal limbs. He was happy here, and he wanted to always be happy. To always know that they held a place for him in their hearts.

_But that was just nonsense. _

Cyborg frowned as he finally reached the elevator that led to the Recreation room. What was that thought he had just had? No, it wasn't like him to put down his own teammates. He had to think positively, he had too much to do than be Mr. Negative. Besides, that was Raven's job.

_They don't know anything about what you go through. _

The elevator was slowly rising as Cyborg put a hand to his metal side of the head.

_They don't know anything about your pain of being different._

"That ain't true. All the Titans are different!"

_No…don't you see? You're the epitome of cold death. You've felt what it was like to be dead when the accident occurred. Now you wear your cybernetics as an icy shell, covering you with the reminder that you're the only one who's different."_

"Argh! That doesn't make sense! What are you saying?" By now, Cyborg had both his hands pressed to his head as the internal conflict inside his mind continued.

_Look at your hands._

Cyborg did so.

_Now breath on them._

With a puff of breath, Cyborg blew hot air on his palms. Immediately his internal readings told him of the temperature change on his limbs but discarded it as he overrode the information with a simple command. But that wasn't what was important. In his human mind, the teen began to panic. Why hadn't he noticed this before? Why now? Why did his rational thinking have to be so right? Cyborg's shoulders began to shake as his breathing grew faster. His cybernetics kicked up again to tell him that he was about to hyperventilate, but he didn't care…

Because didn't feel the heat from his breath when he blew on his hands.

The elevator doors opened as he spilled out onto the floor. No one was in the room to see him struggle with himself. They were probably in the Medical Bay, checking up on Starfire. Cyborg picked himself up and tried to relax, but he couldn't stop thinking what he had just learned. He had never noticed this before…but why? Because his machine parts could activate a coolant system within himself, involuntarily. He never felt hot, nor did he feel cold. He was always at a comfortable temperature with himself and never took the time to look around at the other's shivers or perspiration.

Slumping onto the U-couch, Cyborg let his head hang over the top as he stared at the ceiling. What was it like to sweat again? There was…hydration involved. Yeah…his skin used to have pores and they would spill out water from his body. He would be covered in the stuff after football practice or when he worked out In the gym. His clothes would stink and his mother would be irritable from the sweat stains on his shirts all the time. Not only that, he would smell terrible too. Cybog grinned as he tried to function his human mind to remember what his dirty socks smelled like.

On the very same skin, too, he would shiver. His hairs would stand on end, even pulling up his flesh as well, trying to get his body warm again. The days when a snow storm would come and he would race outside, sled and all, just to be the first in the winter wonderland. The Titan remembered shivering, the function that allowed the muscles to spasm slightly to keep the warm blood flowing through his veins. He remembered how his boogers froze in his nose as he got pelted by a snowball from his father. Then, when he had to pee, he would run off into a secluded spot and he answered nature's call. Cyborg noticed that his breathing was normal now, that he wasn't becoming hysterical of some newfound knowledge. The memories must have helped, if not depressed him.

"I'm glad to see you're back."

His eye showed a voice recognition sound wave. Robin had just walked in and without turning his head, Cyborg responded,

"Hey." The metal Titan was glad he was able to calm down before one of his friends arrived. Cyborg didn't like to show weakness in front of his teammates. "How's Starfire?"

Robin walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a soda. It wasn't good to drink caffeine this late but as much as he cared about Starfire, he would never go to sleep until she was well again.

"She's okay, just getting some rest. Your suggestion on carrying Raven back was a good idea. She helped speed up the healing a whole lot better than I would have thought, but Star's going to have a few aches and pains for a couple of days still." The Boy Wonder opened the can and took a sip. "Is Atlas in jail?"

Cyborg opened his mouth to respond but stopped. When Atlas was preoccupied from knocking the car away, the Titan took the opening and shoved his arm cannon in the villains face and, quite frankly, blew his head off. The teen shook his head and gave a grim smile.

"Yeah. Atlas won't bother us for a good, long time."

Robin smirked, but only because he thought the villains was in cuffs.

"Hey, mind if I go see if Star's alright? You know, with my own good eye." He pointed to his organic eye and smiled. Robin's smirk turned into a cocky grin as he nodded his head and watched Cyborg head to the infirmary.

No one was around in the hall where the medical room was located. The sliding door was open just a crack, to make sure that if any piece of equipment backfired, they would have access to the room incase the door was stuck. Cyborg scoffed at the notion of his instruments failing. What did they think he was? The local mechanic? The metal Titan was probably one of the best mechanical inventors of this world, but, he sighed, there is always reason for caution. Especially when it's one of your own friends on the line. Cyborg fingered the door and peered inside, only to see Starfire awake and sitting up in bed. He pulled the door open all the way and stepped in, smiling.

"I see you're feeling better."

Starfire looked up and gave a grin at her friend. "Although Raven's magic is strong, I will not be feeling so wonderful come tomorrow. I do hope that no ugly heckler will arrive while I am resting."

Cyborg walked over and sat at the edge of the medical bed, creating a type of angle due to his weight. "Well, if they ever do, the Teen Titans will take 'em out. Even if their short one member for the time being." He raised his hand and clenched his fist playfully as Starfire giggled at his notions.

Then, there was an uneasy silence.

"Hey…Star?" Cyborg scratched his head and looked down.

"Yes?"

"I…I just wanted to say I'm sorry for today. I didn't really know what came over me. It was like when I saw Atlas, I was frozen with…well…I guess you could say fear. Fearful of what? I dunno. But I had lost focus and that's what got you hurt. If I had just been in my regular state of mind, Atlas would've been already down for the count and you wouldn't be in this bed, suffering these minor inconveniences like this. I hope you can forgive me for being so stupid."

"Cyborg…" She spoke softly but Cyborg just kept going on.

"I mean I totally understand if you can't. I promise next time I won't let one hand touch you. I'll be the sacrifice and make sure you're out of harms way. Being half robot, I'm sure my body can take it more than flesh. All I have to do is meld everything back into place and I'm as good as new. Flesh ain't so easy like that, right?"

"Cyborg."

"Of course I'm right. I just can't believe that Robin hasn't kicked my butt yet for spacing out on you guys. Next time we go into training, he's going to go medieval on my shiny metal ass. It's worth it though. If it helps stop another situation like today's, I'm all for it. I - "

Starfire placed her hand on his and he immediately stopped talking. "I already have."

"Have…? Have what?"

"I have already forgiven you, Cyborg. You do not need to reprimand yourself for an act on which you cannot explain. It is both sweet and disheartening to hear how much you take a folly on yourself."

"Oh…thanks and sorry?"

Starfire rolled her eyes and playfully bumped her fist on his thick shoulders. "No apologies needed, please. I am just happy that you have arrived safe at home from your battle with Atlas."

"How'd you know?" She just smiled and crossed her legs underneath the covers.

"I suspected that you would fight him alone after you gave directions for everyone to head back to the Tower. I was not fully conscious but I could still hear and partially understand what was going on."

"Oh…" Cyborg held an unemotional face. If she understood what was going on during the fight, then she should have felt his deathly cold, metal arms when he picked her up. No wonder she was quivering in an intense state when he held her. It must have been awful and thinking about it didn't make Cyborg feel any better.

"Cyborg…what is wrong?" Her small hand slipped down to his elbow, making him turn to face her. He saw her eyes, and her concerned face. It was like a brother and sister relationship between them as the two cared for each other deeply, not wanting to se the other get hurt for any reason. Starfire also had an uncanny way of telling when somebody was hiding fears or deep broodings. She would urge them to tell her, loosing her enthusiastic and hyper attitude the moment they said, 'Okay.' Then, she would listen. A special trait that not too many people have in this day and age. Now, she wanted Cyborg to tell her what was wrong, and he couldn't just say no to her. Not after what he owed her.

"Starfire…What did you feel when I held you?"

This startled the Tamaranian a bit. "I…do not understand."

Cyborg rubbed the side of his head, trying to put his words in simpler context. "You were shaking so bad when I picked you up from the ground, It was almost like hypothermia. I got scared, believing that my cold metal was putting you in a hallucinated state where you thought you might be dying. I've…seen what a person looks like when they are, and you were acting in just the same way…"

Starfire stayed silent. The metal teen feared that what he said was true, that she now looked upon him as something negative, like a Klorbag…or whatever.

"I…cannot say that I would know how you feel, Cyborg. I have not been in the same situation that you have in your life. It is depressing to hear ones past they do not wish to share."

Cyborg's shoulder's rose and fell in a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know how that is. You want it to look like your life was perfect to your friends so they think you're the bomb and all."

"I agree, but forgive me, I have not answered your question." Cyborg winced. "I believe I remember a time with a mad man, Brother Blood. We had all banded together to defeat him, but it was only you that defeated the Blood with a magnificent display of the human spirit. On my planet, we believe that the spirit of a living organism has to be fueled by a heart, and a heart is all that I heard from when you carried me."

Cyborg looked confused for a moment. "But how could you? It's all underneath this mesh of wires and circuitry." He tapped his chest.

"But that doesn't mean it is not there." Starfire reached over and took one of his large hands, placing it over where his heart lay. "You must concentrate. Try not to let your robot side think for you. You cannot rely on it all the time."

The Titans closed his eyes and concentrated on his heartbeat. What kind of beat did a human heart produce again? The sensors on his fingers tried to tell him that his energy core was at a stable degree of temperature inside. Cyborg frowned and terminated the sensors. He had to concentrate further in, he had to feel his heart. His red eye wanted to open to analyze if his hand was in the right place to feel, but he kept it closed. He tried to trace the heartbeat…any kind of heartbeat.

And that's when he remembered his mother.

As a child, Victor Stone was an active human. He loved to run, jump and chase his other friends around until his mother called him home for supper. It was on this one night when he stayed out after dark on a dare, ignoring the calls of his family to come in and wash up. Little Victor wandered around in the dark, suddenly regretting the dare and wanting to go home. He tried to find any familiar markings in the neighborhood, but at nighttime, they were all concealed. Panic gripped his mind as he started to shout for anyone to help him. It was only a few minutes later when he saw a figure run up to him and scoop him up as he cried in relief.

Mrs. Stone had heard his shouts, and was grateful she had found her son as she now cooed soft words into his ear. Victor sniffed and quieted down, leaning his head against her chest while being lulled asleep from her heartbeat.

Now, Cyborg felt it. Through all his metal and electric parts, he could feel, _actually feel,_ what his heartbeat felt like. Being entombed inside his chest, he had always overlooked it since his cyber bits and pieces were, to him, more important for him to function.

"Starfire…I can sense it!" He grew in awe as he opened his eyes to see the anxious pair of hers. "I can actually feel it now. My tech side isn't giving me an analyses and my brain isn't telling me some dumb fact. All I had to do was remember…"

Starfire cheered out and pounced on him for a hug. "Glorious! I am happy to know you have found what you have sought!"

Cyborg laughed and twirled her around the room in a hug of his own. "Man, and I was worried that Atlas and I were too alike. I guess I was scared that I would someday become just like him."

"Nonsense!" She giggled as he put her on her feet. "As long as you have a heart to fuel your spirit, you shall always be the Cyborg I have come to love!"

The metal Titan raised a brow. "Even more than Robin?"

Starfire was caught unawares from the question as she turned red and let out a small 'Eep!' He just laughed. "Just kiddin'!" Both smiled and chuckled a little more before Cyborg had a great idea. "Hey, how 'bout some homemade waffles with those 'lil berries you like so much?"

"But it is almost dinner time!"

"Ah, who cares! I'll make it the biggest and best just for you. Now let me hear ya say 'Boo-yah!'"

"No, I cannot. That is your -"

"Say it!"

"Cyborg, I -"

"Pleeeease?" Knowing Starfire was a sucker for cute faces, such as Beast Boy's "The Face", Cyborg tried his best to mix together his metal facial features into one of a little child, asking their mom for a cookie for breakfast. Starfire couldn't resist and sighed,

"Boo-yah!"

"BOO-YAH! Let's get those waffles a cookin'!"

He picked up Starfire, being gentle for her bruising body, and joined the others in what couldn't have been a more different, yet, wonderful-to-be-alive evening.

**>>>**

Hope you enjoyed. Custructive Critisim is Welcomed, Flames are not.

**ZF**


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